The majority of women will experience some or most of the menopause symptoms in their life. The menopause is associated with a reduction in oestrogen levels which leads to physiological changes that affect different organ systems. In the urogenital tract, these changes usually cause vulvar and vaginal atrophy, affecting vaginal health of women and subsequently decreasing their quality of life. There is also a reduction in vaginal moisture and loss of tissue elasticity. There are many symptoms that can negatively impact a woman’s vaginal health and therefore her quality of life. The role of pelvic floor physiotherapy is to improve the tone and strength of the muscle fibres in order to achieve make the muscles stronger, improve muscle elasticity and to increase the muscle mass which will help to alleviate menopause symptoms and also improve the quality of life.
Despite a high prevalence of these symptoms, only 1 in 4 women who are symptomatic seeks a medical opinion and 70% are never asked about one of the most common symptoms of vaginal dryness during a gynecological check-up. During menopause, a positive attitude while adapting to the changes and seeing a specialist women’s health physiotherapist can improve the overall health of the woman and also her vagina.